Payback
by DandelionOnFire
Summary: A crazy prank crosses Katniss's limits and pushes her to the edge, signaling the involvement of a certain blond. She knows the obsession over the idea of feeling vindicated is more than satisfactory. At least that is until her plan backfires. AU. Fluffy. Written for iam97's birthday.


_**A/n**: So…this is basically a one-shot. I came up with the idea almost a month ago—I decided to write it down and publish it right after I found out about a really special someone's birthday. I have to admit that it is quite impressing that their birthday would be on a day like that (it's the 1st of April in case you hadn't noticed—the April Fool's Day). The fact amused me even more when I suddenly knew what I would be capable of doing for them._

_This "__**them**__" is actually a "__**her**__". She has also posted some stories on —you probably already know her. She's the author of "__**New**__**Experience**__" as well as the sequel of it "__**The**__**Storm**__". As you can see, I'm talking about__**iam97**__. Check her stories out, I assure you she's worthy of your attention._

_**Note to iam97:**_

_I would like to thank you for everything you've done…but whatever I say won't be enough for me to express how grateful I am._

_You have reviewed every single chapter of my stories, you have kept up with me, you have tolerated me, you have listened (technically read) to whatever I had to write—even if it was the silliest thing, you have helped me with interpreting absolutely crazy reviews or PMs, you have given me ideas concerning both of my stories (even if it wasn't always consciously), incentive to keep writing(even if I sometimes felt like I couldn't continue—I may have never told you that, but you do know now) and many other things I can't recall (you may not remember, either). Hell, you even considered getting an autograph from Josh Hutcherson for me!_

_So…alles gutes zum Geburtstag, Lena. Ich hoffe du magst es. __=) [don't kill me if I did anything wrong…you know I'm not the best at German xD]_

_P.S. I have included small bits from our PMs. Most of them have to do with Josh's interviews. You'll see what I mean._

_**Note to everyone:**_

_This is__**nothing**__serious. I can't guarantee you'll like it, since it's quite__**weird**__and everything, so don't be surprised if (some of) the characters are__**OOC, missing **__from the story or…you know…__**weird**__. Oh yeah…almost forgot. It's VERY__**AU**__. If there was a genre called "__**fluff**__", it would be the first one I'd choose, there is no deny._

_Moreover, this is my first attempt when it comes to describing in third POV. I usually find it pretty impersonal, if the writer doesn't handle the story well enough…. It will help me practice in case I write something in third POV again. I like trying different things. ;)_

_Reviews (good or bad) are not only welcome, but also greatly appreciated. Flames, however, are__**not**__._

_P.S. I'm using the same names (for the new characters) as the ones in one of my other fics "__**House Of Chaos**__" not because I'm too lazy to search for new ones, but because I want to have familiar images in my mind._

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><p><strong>Payback<strong>

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><p>Katniss Everdeen knows something is not right by the time the first ray of sun hits the left side of her face, caressing her slightly tanned skin. It filters through her long dark eyelashes, challenging her to let her stormy grey eyes flutter open. She can clearly recall the only part of the room where the light has access to is her mother's bed, not hers. Despite this fact, she's still tempted to allow her heavy-from-sleep eyelids to remain shut as she wishes to be swept away by a peaceful slumber one more time. It is the time of the day when she doesn't need her usual scowl to be constantly plastered on her face. The time when she doesn't feel threatened by anybody or offended by any hurtful comments as well as insults of low quality. Thus, the desire for this moment to linger for a little while can't be considered bizarre. It has become quite evident by now.<p>

Moments later, she realizes that not only the unusual lightening of the room is worthy of her attention. There also other, more significant things to distract her. The way her back aches, her cold limbs-and body in general, the feeling as if she's naked, the soreness in her throat, along with the thirst threatening to overcome her. To worry her to the point of forcing her mind, which has been long forgotten in a dusty corner of her head, to function again.

She makes a soft, almost nonexistent, sound of delight as she finds the heat she has been seeking for. She muffles a small yawn with the front of her left palm and, then, lets it come into contact with the bare flesh of the warm body lying next to hers. Her shoulder rubs against the cool marble as she proceeds to snuggle closer to her little sister.

_Only_…

Primrose has never slept without a nightgown. She has never woken up without having her pale arm around Katniss's waist and never chooses to have the left side of the bed. She always prefers to take her fetal position on the spot where Katniss supposes she is–or isn't–right now. "Her" smell is not as intoxicating as the one tickling the brunette's nose at this very moment.

She inhales deeply, feigning a long sigh, and is surprised when the odor of the shampoo Prim uses for her hair is not _really_ there. She's even more startled when she realizes that it is not there _at all. _Instead, she is greeted with the unmistakable mix of almonds, butter and several sweet things (like…what does the baker called them? Cupcakes?…Yes, that must be the name), followed by an utterly foreign aroma. It doesn't scare her. At least not until she decides it is far more _masculine _than her thirteen-year-old sister's would be…

She _knows_ that smell. Most of the boys from the town smell this way. She has often found herself wondering why they don't smell of leaves, smoke, or oranges, like Gale does.

Her eyes open wide, just to make her realize that she's not even in her home. The ceiling is too high to be a part of any house in the Seam. She takes in her surroundings and panics. White curtains, five windows in a row, desks, a black board…

She gasps. She's in a classroom, in the school of District Twelve, one that, which is not even hers.

_What is she doing here?_

And then, she remembers.

She remembers the new President of Panem, the nephew of President Paylor, signaling the end of the Hunger Games. She remembers the reaction of everyone in Twelve; from the merchants to the people in the Seam. She remembers mixed feelings (relief, happiness, surprise, astonishment, awe—even irritation because the Capitol will never cease to control them). She remembers lots of hugging, lots of crying, and lots of kissing with her family and friends. She remembers accepting her _mother's_ embrace, something which is pretty unlikely for her—she doesn't need that kind of attention.

She remembers the school dance, which only the students of the last three grades were allowed to attend. And since she's in the second last grade, she's seventeen years old and, therefore, in the list of the guests—not that anyone would notice if she was missing. She remembers Madge begging her, trying to find good enough arguments for her to go. She remembers her friend telling her she was as stubborn as a mule.

She remembers glaring at her, though, soon being forced to surrender. Madge had called Prim—she knows what buttons to press after all these years. She remembers catching up with Delly Cartwright's friends, who weren't as bad as she thought they would be. She remembers agreeing to have some drinks. It was her way of celebrating the end of the Hunger Games. It was her way of honoring the upcoming days of freedom.

But then…she remembers nothing. Nothing at all. She makes a mental note to stay mad at Madge for getting her into so much trouble.

Her mind is flooded by all those thoughts without a single warning, in just a matter of seconds. Katniss, though, realizes in how much trouble she really is only after she remembers to look to her right.

Her reaction is immediate—the horror travels from her chest to her pained throat, coming out as a cry of panic and disbelief. She jumps away from the boy's body and struggles to stand on her two feet for once more. Her heart is literally beating like a hammer inside her chest and threatens to _stop_, just like that, when she realizes that she's wearing nothing but her underwear. She can feel the color drain from her face as she rushes to take the white sheet from the floor. She wraps it tightly around her trembling form and distances herself from whoever is in front of her. She takes two awkward steps backwards at a time, resulting in her bumping against the cool, yellow concrete wall. She eventually allows her eyes to grow as large as they have ever been before.

_What. The. __**hell**__?_

She cannot recall bringing _sheets_ to the party. She cannot recall anyone carrying anything similar, either. Her head starts spinning. What had she _done_?

The boy lying on the floor-it _was_ marble, after all-begins to stir, prompting her to take a better look. The ashy blonde hair which used to fall in waves over his forehead when he was younger, the broad shoulders, the strong arms and legs that managed to help him lift all those sacks of flour in the bakery—

_Stop_. The message is clear. She knows him. She's probably known him for more years than she can remember, or wishes to remember, right now. The thought alone terrifies her.

She watches as Peeta Mellark lazily brings his palms over his closed eyelids and covers his face, blocking the light from view. She hears a quiet moan escape his lips and attempts to pull herself together. Her eyes fall on the sheet covering every single part of his body below the waist. She still can't be thankful though. This is all too much for her. She can't just _accept_ the situation she's in, not until she hears the exact details about it.

The baker's youngest son makes an effort to roll, moving to the other side of the "bed" but freezes right on the spot. The procedure of him withdrawing his hands from his face is agonizingly slow. It is quite apparent he knows something is not right, too.

Katniss watches from her corner, shooting at the same time quick, cautious glances at the door. Even though she might need to escape, she knows there is no place she can go without her clothes.

"Katniss?" It is more of a question, not an acknowledgement. His voice is still drowsy from the lack of use and it sends another shiver down her spine. Once again, she _panics_.

How does he know her name? Why doesn't he sound distressed? Does he remember what happened last night, what happened after the party? It looks like neither of them left the party afterwards. Then, _how_ are the sheets here? Why are they almost _naked_? She cringes.

"Not again," he growls and lies back down, facing the ceiling. She has no idea what he means. "This is a dream, isn't it? Well, I don't mind. You're eventually going to leave, anyway. Like you always do," he says nonchalantly. She stares at him as if he's a madman.

What does he mean? Has this ever happened before? Why doesn't she remember anything?

She watches him as he keeps mumbling meaningless things to himself and waits for this moment to finally end. He eventually lifts his gaze to meet hers again, even though this time he is speechless. His jaw drops as he seems to be fighting with himself. She doesn't even want to know what he thinks of her right now. She doesn't want him to believe she's someone else—not the Katniss Everdeen people know.

Peeta Mellark sits up, carrying the covers with him. His eyes are wider than ever.

"You're real." He shakes his head. "You're here…you're…holy shit!" She can't recall hearing him curse before. He has always been so noble and kind that she couldn't imagine him swearing.

She has to figure out what to say or do next as fast as she can. When he makes a move to stand up, though, she finds herself reacting in the worst way possible. The hope of a calm enough reaction instantly vanishes.

"Stay away from me!" she yells in a strained voice and covers her eyes with her one palm. She doesn't have to see this. She doesn't have to see _him_. She shouldn't.

"Katniss," he whispers her name. Her hand falls to her one side, just to grip the sheet tighter.

"How…how do you know my name? You're not supposed to know my name." She mutters the last sentence under her breath. She doubts he can hear her.

"The same way you know mine. I mean…if you know mine…I'm—"

"Peeta Mellark, I know. We have history together. And gymnastics." His face immediately lights up, as if he doesn't care about the situation they're in. But she does and she cannot afford to let it go just like that.

"What are you doing here?" she snaps. He raises an eyebrow. "I mean what are you doing here with _me_?" He presses his lips tightly together. He apparently doesn't know the answer either.

His reply never comes. Several moments pass and she is forced to talk again.

"This shouldn't have happened," she murmurs. He gives her a look of pure bewilderment.

"What is that supposed to mean?" he wants to know. She shakes her head in response.

"Oh, don't you pretend you don't know what this means. It's your fault I'm here, in this freaking classroom, instead of my own home. I can't believe I let you do this! Y-you tricked me—there's no other way you could ever—," her sentence is interrupted by her own groan of frustration.

"You seriously think we…" he trails off. He doesn't need to finish what he had been thinking. Katniss knows that they are already on the same page. It relieves her that she doesn't have to say it out loud, yet it scares her.

"Don't! Don't even say that! Whatever you have in mind—I just don't want to hear it."

"Katniss we didn't do anything," he reassures her in a steady voice. She cannot understand how he is capable of being so calm while she's literally trembling. "There is no way—"

"I thought I told you not to mention it again! And…and h-how do you know we—I mean I…you…how do you…we could have…but…" she stutters. She suddenly feels like jumping from the window without any clothes on. She feels like forcing her eyes shut, wishing for the boy with the bread to just disappear from in front of her.

And as she expects to receive a triumphant smirk from him, the only thing she really gets is a sad look he's giving her. Is he aware of the way he chose to confront her?

He parts his lips. She is caught off guard when the words finally come out of his mouth. The words only manage to make the pounding inside her head stronger.

"There's no way I would have forgotten it, had it happened," he says. Why must he have to confuse her even more? Should she feel disgusted? Should she feel flattered? She has no idea and that is what is driving her mad.

She soon realizes that her own mouth has been hanging open for quite a while. She clenches her jaw, searching deep into her fuzzy mind to find a decent answer. She eventually makes the decision to voice most of the questions running through her head.

"But is there anything else you can remember from last night? How can you be so sure?" she asks. The firmness of her voice surprises her, even though she chooses not to let it show.

The question is effective—the result, immediate. His reaction is, as expected, not as confident as it was before. His brows furrow and she tries to concentrate on his face instead of the rest of him.

"I was with Trevor and Alexander. They somehow persuaded me to drink—you're right I remember vaguely the events of yesterday. But I still—Delly, Abigayle, Madge and…and _you_! You were there! I mean you're always there but…you really were this time! With us, with—do you understand what I'm saying?" he pauses to measure her expression. Then, he continues, "Because you look like you don't."

"I don't remember talking with you. Only Madge…and maybe Delly. She always talks to us when we're not in the classroom. I have science with her." The fact that she's sharing this kind of information with him will not help her at all, though it might give him a clue about who she is.

"Yes, I do know that," he confirms. The thoughtful expression never leaves him. She can't help but wonder how it is possible for him to know so many things about her. She suddenly has a strange urge of telling him about her little sister and how she convinced her to go to the party. Instead, she tells him something which makes her see red. Peeta wasn't the only one who didn't want to drink from the beginning.

"Madge got me to drink, too. I mean…she didn't exactly make me but I'm positive I was more than just against it at first."

"W-what?" he stammers. The disbelief is written all over his face. Several moments pass before the flicker of recognition appears in his eyes, encouraging her to question him again. She only gets the chance to speak after him.

"C'mon. We need to get out of here as fast as possible. Where are our clothes?" he demands.

"You think I would have been like this, if I had found my clothes?" she asks. She's tempted to cross her arms over her chest but she knows this will cause the sheet to fall from around her body. She can't afford any kind of similar movement.

"No, I'm sorry. C'mon now," he repeats and starts to look frantically around him. "I don't believe they would do this," he mutters through his teeth.

"They? Who are you talking about? And how will we _find_ the clothes?"

"I'll explain later," he rushes to reply and walks hastily towards a curtain. She's thankful he has also the cover around him now she can't _not_ take in the whole sight of him. He pulls the curtain away but the only thing he manages to do is allow entrance to even more light from the sun. Her breath catches in her throat.

"What's the time?" she breathes, panicked.

"I don't know. I don't own a watch," he says without even looking at her. He just keeps opening curtains while her heart starts beating unevenly in her chest. Her mother and Prim must have realized she's missing by now. She needs to really think of a good excuse to be pardoned for not being home.

A satisfied smile spreads across his face by the time he reaches the last window. Once she sees it is safe enough to approach him, she takes several steps towards his direction, just in time to catch the black pants he throws at her.

"They must be yours," he says. She nods. "It's not so hard to figure out. They're not mine," he adds in a matter-of-fact tone.

He gathers the rest of their clothing, before she is forced to stare at the wall so that he can get dressed. When he's done, it's her turn to copy his actions.

"Turn around," she demands. Even though he complies without a second word, she still rushes to put her clothes on before he has a chance to change his mind. "I'm okay now."

"There is one more hiding place," he says. She gives him a weird look. "In case you hadn't noticed…we're both lacking shoes."

"And socks," she adds amused, although she knows the fact is not really something to laugh at. She almost immediately gets mad at herself for even thinking of this. "Alright so…maybe a broom closet? But there are no broom closets in the classroom. I just don't understand one thing. Why would we want to hide our things?" she wonders out loud.

"We didn't hide our things. I've experienced it so many times before. I've gotten used to all those pranks," he lets her know.

"Pranks?" she repeats, puzzled. "And if we didn't hide our things…who did?"

"Don't you see, Katniss? You were made to drink, I was made to drink, we hung out together—this is not a coincidence. They pulled a prank. _Again_," he explains.

"What you're trying to tell me is…that your friends…and _Madge_…decided to have some fun…and got us in here…left us here to spend the night…_without_ knowing it because we were both unconscious…" he nods, encouraging her to keep talking. "And they got rid of our clothes!" she yells, exasperated, trying not to be embarrassed that someone _undressed_ her. Even if this particular "someone" was Madge. "My mother and sister will be worried sick because of a freakin' prank!" she exclaims as realization hits her with full force.

"Y-yeah, I know that sounds a bit crazy…and it's the worst one in contrast to what I have been through…" he doesn't get to finish his sentence. She finds herself too infuriated to listen to what he has to say.

"What will I tell them now? Because there is no way I can tell them the _truth_! I don't even know what the truth is!" she shouts. She glares at they boy in front of her, even though she's perfectly aware of the fact that he's not the one she should put the blame on. "I'm going to kill, Madge," she growls in a dark voice which makes her sound even more threatening.

"Katniss…we really need to find our shoes. I know my friends and they always do that. They get you into trouble, wait for you to freak out and then come to embarrass you." His words startle her. Does that mean they're going to be found in the classroom soon?

"In the drawer. The teacher's desk," she simply says. She watches him with wide eyes as he sprints towards there. When he opens it, the astonishment is written all over his face.

"How did you know that?" he wonders and takes what is needed out. Katniss feels grateful as she faces not only her shoes, but also her socks. She puts them on.

"I'm not that useless. I can be creative."

"That's not what I meant," he reassures her.

"Yeah, well, this is where I'd hide them. I have to go," she says and walks to the door. She can feel Peeta's eyes on her as she approaches it and places her hand on the handle, but chooses to ignore him. Soon enough she realizes what a bad choice it was.

_They're locked up._

She lets out a frustrated cry and bumps against the door with all the force she can muster.

"Damn it!" she hears herself scream. Peeta hurries to get closer.

"Let me try," he instructs her. She involuntarily obeys. If this is what will get her out of here, she will gladly let him try.

He follows her previous actions; he attempts to open it by the handle and then pushes his body against it. It takes several moments before he has no other choice but to give up.

"We're stuck," he says with a newfound urgency in his voice. As if she doesn't know it. The only thing he manages to do in the end is irritate her.

"You can't just say it like that! We can't be stuck in here forever!"

"This is not forever, Katniss. It's until they come back with they key. There is nothing we can do to prevent that."

"How…how could you even let it go?"

"As I said before, you get used to it after the fifth time." She looks at him with disbelief. _Fifth time?_ "The only difference is you. You weren't involved before. At least not this way." She gives her head a violent shake. There is no wonder the last sentence was something she imagined. It must have been her mind playing tricks with her again.

"I don't want to be stuck with you," she insists. Taking his "nice" nature for granted was absolutely wrong. The way she says it makes him argue back.

"Well, I'm sorry for happening to be here without even wanting to. Maybe next time you'll be luckier and wake up in the arms of the Hawthorne boy," he snaps.

She stares at him, dumbfounded. Gale being considered her boyfriend is nothing new. However, hearing the baker's son say makes a huge difference. There's something in his voice—something entirely new—that she can't really place. She doesn't feel annoyed, but…guilty. That is until she remembers she has no reason to feel guilty. She didn't do anything wrong.

"I don't want to have to face them afterwards," she tells him in a pleading tone. The smoldering glare he had been giving her is instantly gone. His gaze softens and the muscles of his face relax.

"I don't want to be found here, either. I don't know how we could get out of here. There's no way we c—except…" he trails off. Her heart stars beating with anticipation. She follows his gaze and soon finds herself looking at the direction the windows are. He can't be thinking…

"What floor are we on?" she asks.

"First, I think." They share a knowing look. She can't believe they're even considering this. "It's not so high," he adds, never removing his eyes from hers.

_Maybe she will have to jump from the window, after all._

This won't be so hard. She has climbed thousands of trees. It never is high for her. The only thing she cannot understand is how can _he_ be so sure of himself. She doubts he has climbed trees—the only tree in front of the bakery is the apple tree and it's not even high.

It is like a silent agreement. They both run towards the same window. They open it and lean forward, trying to estimate the effort they will have to put in to make it.

She immediately thinks of Gale as well as the way he always stays behind her to watch her back, while hunting. As strange as that might sound to people, she feels safer when she's in charge.

"I want to go before you," she tells Peeta her wish. She turns around to make sure he has heard her and receives his nod of agreement. "And I want something else, too."

"What is it?" he prompts her to speak again, but she shakes her head. She refuses to tell him before she knows they're both okay. Besides, she can't let him down. She's owed him since the rainy day, when he gave her the bread. When he saved her.

"I'll talk to you about it only after we're down there," she says and points a finger to the ground.

"Okay, then. You can go first." She eagerly obeys.

It was much easier than she had originally expected. She climbed and stood on the windowsill. Then, she counted to ten, preparing herself to jump and eventually did it, refusing to take Peeta's help.

He doesn't waste any more time. He jumps from the window without hesitation—not too long after her. In the end, when he stands on his two feet, he packs up the courage to touch her forearm and ask her the question.

"What was it that you wanted?"

The way her lips curl upwards to form a sly smirk takes him by surprise.

"Payback," she confesses. The glimpse of determination and hunger for revenge in her eyes makes his pupils grow large in trepidation.

"Of course you don't need to help me," she adds quickly. She is just too selfish to care about collaborating with him without even really knowing him. For a completely unknown to her reason his answer is not only unexpected but also satisfactory.

"No, I'll help. Tell me what I need to do."

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><p>As Peeta and Katniss cross the town square she realizes there is an utterly new feeling bugging her, the one of anxiety. She cannot remember having to face anything similar before, just like she doesn't remember walking here with any of her classmates.<p>

She doesn't want to talk with him and he seems to respect her wish. She knows she should feel embarrassed for even thinking of this but there is no going back now. She doesn't want to be considered a coward.

The phrase echoes in her head over and over again.

_She is dating Peeta Mellark. Correction. She is supposed to be dating him._

But there's still this tiny little problem she still hasn't talked to him about. She has no idea of what she will have to do to prove the fact. What do couples do in front of other people? They hold hands (well, how difficult can that be?), they hug (embracing a stranger makes her feel uneasy. She wonders whether it is normal.), and they kiss. That thought makes her want to shiver, although she knows it's almost impossible. It's the end of June and it's blazing hot outside.

She doesn't pay attention to where they're going. She just follows his lead.

_Only ten minutes, _he had promised her. She usually trusts nobody. She has no idea what made her change her mind and act differently towards him. Maybe it's the same reason why he is so popular in school. Maybe it is what makes his classmates trust him, too.

She believes him.

"We're here," he eventually speaks. This "here" is the bakery. What makes hundreds of questions run through her head is not the place. It's the people inside the place. His brothers. His father. The _witch_.

"I can wait for you out here."

"What? Katniss, you don't mean that, do you? You're supposed…to feel comfortable…"

"Supposed," she repeats to prove her point.

"It's only for ten minutes. My parents are not in the house and my brothers won't be a problem. I promise." And she believes him once _again_.

Bu before they even get the chance to enter the building, Katniss hears a voice that makes her stop dead in her tracks; her sister's voice.

"Katniss?" she calls with uncertainty. Prim's name is on her sister's lips right after that.

The blonde girl approaches them with light footsteps and doesn't even hesitate to offer a grin.

"Hi, Peeta."

"Hello, Primrose." Katniss wonders where they know each other from.

"What are you doing here alone?" she demands, despite the fact that she feels she doesn't have the right to use that tone now.

"Oh, I was just going to Kelsey's. I've only told mom because I didn't know what time you'd be back." Katniss can do nothing but give a curt nod. She didn't expect her sister to be so calm after the night she spent in the school. Prim's eyes move to Peeta for a brief moment before returning back to Katniss. "By the way, did you have fun last night?"

The question catches Katniss completely off guard. She almost chokes on her next words. She cannot see how Prim feels so comfortable with discussing this.

"Weren't you worried?" Eventually, this is the only thing she manages to get out.

"Why would we be worried? Madge informed us about what she had planned."

"She told you about the pra—" Katniss looks at her sister incredulously but Peeta cuts her sentence off by nudging her with his elbow. "What did she tell you?"

"That you were going to stay with her after the party. That's not news to you." But it _is_ news to Katniss. She never got to Madge's house after the party.

"Wasn't mom mad at me?" she can tell Peeta wants to nudge her again but she places her hand on his shoulder and pushes it softly towards the other direction. He can't interrupt her when she's talking with Prim.

"Why would she be mad at you? You're almost eighteen, Katniss. You're allowed to stay at your best friend's home for the night."

"Of course," she mutters. Right now she can't find a good enough reason not to believe the boy standing beside her. She finds herself being more willing than ever. "You know what, Prim? If you get home before me, tell mom I'll be back soon. Okay?"

"Okay," her little sister says obediently. "Will you be with Peeta?"

"Y-yeah…I mean…most of the time," she confirms. She knows she won't go anywhere else but still doesn't want to give her sister a straight answer.

They eventually say their goodbyes and Prim walks towards the direction she had been heading before meeting her sister, while Katniss and Peeta finally enter the bakery.

"Hey, Darryl," Peeta greets as soon as they're in. She knows he's the eldest of the three sons of the baker.

"Oh, hey, Peet. And…"

"Katniss. Her name's Katniss," Peeta lets him know. Darryl nods. "Mom and dad aren't here yet, right?"

"No. They'll be back in two or three hours."

"Good. In this case, we'd like to have some ice-cream," he says with a satisfied smile.

_Ice-cream? What is this?_

"I don't want anything," she speaks. He shakes his head.

"Trust me. You won't regret it. Dad suggested we also sell that some days after the announcement concerning the Hunger Games was made. It was one of his best decisions."

"I don't have money to pay for anything. And I don't know when I'll go hunting again," she tells him. She doesn't go on her own. Gale and his family are in away for the week. She doesn't really know which District but what matters is that he's not here.

"You don't need to pay for it," he assures her and takes two cones filled with the white stuff he calls ice-cream. Just the appearance fascinates her but she knows there is no chance she will admit how curious she is to taste it. He hands the cone to her and she takes it to examine it.

"We're going upstairs," she hears him say and follows him without taking her eyes off the treat. It doesn't take long for her to realize she's in a part of the bakery she never been in before. She notices the huge oven in the back of the room as she walks with Peeta towards a door. He opens it and lets her go first like he did with the window. She mumbles a silent "thank you" and starts climbing the stairs to reach another door. This time, though, she holds back and waits for him to give her instructions.

He turns the knob and pushes the door to open wide. He steps inside and then aside to allow her entrance.

"You can come in, you know." She makes a small movement with her head and takes his offer. The whole situation is so weird to her. She doesn't even remember why she's here, in the house of a merchant.

_Oh, right. The prank._

She swallows any traces of cowardice and walks confidently beside him.

"Let's go to the kitchen to eat this before it starts melting," he suggests and gestures towards his cone.

When they reach his kitchen, she immediately thinks of how much bigger it is than hers. The table in the middle of it is not so large (Madge's table is bigger), but it's still quite massive. He pulls a chair to sit down and insists she sit beside him.

She brings the sweet to her lips and attempts to take a small bite. Her eyes widen in surprise. Maybe this is why it is called _ice-_cream. She decides she doesn't like it.

Peeta laughs. "Sorry, I forgot to warn you. You don't bite it. You only bite the cone."

"The cone's edible?"

"Yeah, of course. But before you reach the cone, you lick around the base of the ice-cream. Like this," he says and shows her. She stares at her own ice-cream. She doesn't know whether she wants to try again. She does it anyway.

"It's good," she finally says. He smiles. He seems to be doing that a lot.

"Hey, Peeta, do you know when mom and dad come bac—oh. Oh! I didn't know you had company, I'm sorry." She turns around to see the other brother of Peeta with a shocked expression on his face.

"No, it's alright. They'll be back in two or three hours. At least that's what Darryl said." Peeta's brother nods and approaches her. He extends his hand.

"Tyler," he introduces himself. She holds her cone with one hand and shakes it with the other, letting him know who she is. "So, _this_ is Katniss. Good," he says and pats Peeta's back. The latter gives him an annoyed look.

"Hush," he growls.

"Why _hush_?" Tyler asks, mimicking his voice. "I was really curious to see who she was. You two are going out, aren't you?" He points to him, then her and vice versa. Katniss looks at Peeta for some help. He shakes his head.

"That's none of your business." Even though the words are rude, the way he pronounces them proves he doesn't really intend on being mean to his brother. She feels like she's the reason he was made to talk like that.

"Okay, okay, chill! I only wanted to remind you that you have to be careful. You remember what happened to the girl I brought home the previous month. You don't want that to happen to Katniss, do you?" She gives Peeta a terrified look. She has a feeling this has something to do with the witch.

"Katniss. We're going in my room," Peeta states by the time he senses her fear.

"Just don't forget what I said!" she hears Tyler yell as they walk away. He eventually disappears from view and Katniss has to concentrate on eating her ice-cream instead of looking around her. She doesn't want Peeta to think she's too curious.

He invites her to sit with him on his bed and they barely exchange some words while finishing their ice-creams.

"So…" he starts once they both have their hands completely free.

"It was nice," she tells him, referring to what he gave her to eat.

"I'm glad to hear that." Then, he sighs. She already suspects what's coming next. When he begins to talk, her assumptions are confirmed.

"We should probably get to know each other a little bit before we move on to other things. Would you mind telling me about yourself?" The answer is that yes, she _would_ mind. She doesn't like talking about herself; neither her feelings nor her beliefs. But she knows she has to do this. After all, this was _her_ idea. Not Peeta's.

He somehow sees the uneasiness in her eyes. He proceeds to get her out of the uncomfortable situation she's in.

"You don't need to start, you know. I could always make the first move. I could tell you about myself. We should make this seem unique." What amazes her is not the phrases coming out of his mouth, but the emotion he puts to this as well as the willingness to make it work, even if it's nothing but an act. Nothing more than payback for the prank.

"Tell me, then." And he does. He tells her about his family; his brothers and his parents. The way he describes his mother would make it difficult for someone to think of her the way Katniss does. She's not the awful, cruel, abusive witch she has always had in mind. He presents her as someone entirely different, someone with a heart.

This almost makes her feel bad. Before she has the chance to feel any guiltier, he continues. He talks to her about how much he enjoys working at the bakery, the different kinds of bread and many other things she would never imagine. She learns about his friends and the connection he has with each and every one of them. She even learns to appreciate Delly's overexcitement—now she knows she's only doing it because she's trying to be nice.

And then, it's her turn. She doesn't tell him too much. She tells him about her sister and just a little bit about her mother, but she carefully avoids her father's issue. She also tells him about going to the woods with Gale, which is nothing new to him, but also avoids speaking about things she has experienced with her best friend. Sharing some of the significant moments of her life is not that easy, after all.

"You know what I mean by saying unique?" he asks after he thinks they've already discussed enough about themselves. She shakes her head because, honestly, she doesn't know a thing. "I mean that we need to know what we're doing and make it special at the same time. We need to shock them, but not ourselves. We need to be prepared for everything," he explains. This time she nods, even if she doesn't really know what she's agreeing to. "And I have to make something clear before we…"

"Go ahead," she tells him encouragingly. There's no time for him to back off. Not now.

"Well…I don't want to do anything wrong. I don't want to make you think I'm taking advantage of you in any way." She parts her lips to protest but he raises his palm to prevent her from saying anything before he's finished. "Even if this will be an act. It doesn't matter. I would like you to know that I would never hurt you." She knows this. All of sudden she feels like she knows _him_.

"This was my idea. I won't think you're taking advantage of me. It would make more sense, if it was the other way round." He lets out a brief laugh.

"You taking advantage of me? No offense, Katniss, but I don't think you have the qualities to take advantage of anyone," he replies. She decides to take that as a compliment.

"Don't worry. None taken," she reassures him. "Are we going to try now? For…you know…" She exhales noisily. "Before the real act," she says, showing him she understands his implications. They don't need to be unprepared. They (or better _she_) need practice.

"Yes." His answer gives Katniss the confidence she needs to lean forward. The way he made her sit beside him didn't give them the chance to keep their distance from each other. Thus, their faces are only inches apart, as are their lips.

She is about to consider herself in control, when he makes a move she didn't expect him to. He brings his hand closer to her mouth and lets his two middle fingers rest on them as if to shush her. In their case, he only does that to stop her.

"Don't go straight for it," he advises, keeping his voice barely above a whisper. She can't see his point. Why shouldn't she get to the point from the beginning? Isn't it what will make things easier for both of them? She remembers seeing him with other girls in school. He was only talking with them but that doesn't mean he doesn't have experience when it comes to this particular matter. In contrast to him, she never had a date before. She never even tried to get one. There was no first kiss. Listening to what he has to say is probably for the best.

His sweet breath tickles her face as he removes his hand from her lips. She blinks several times, waiting for his next move.

"Show them you can be a little bit more affectionate," he adds after a while, making this way clear the reason of his hesitation. The word "affectionate" sounds alien to her. She's positive it wouldn't ring right, if she said it out loud. It is on the tip of her tongue, regardless.

"Affectionate?" she repeats, making her confusion apparent. She doesn't know how to act the way he wants her to. Though, he does seem more than eager to show her. A part of her feels glad he has no problem with helping her.

"Yeah…Small and sweet gestures. You know." She frowns, trying not to think of wanting to puke. Maybe she has to tell him that she doesn't. She finds it safe enough to shake her head. "You don't?" Once again, she makes the movement with her head to confirm the fact.

"I haven't tried to be affectionate before."

"Then, what about your sister?"

"That comes out naturally. I don't need anyone to remind me that it's something I have to do." He shoots her a cautious glance before moving closer to her. He stops approaching her only when he makes sure their legs touch. He raises his eyebrows, probably asking whether she's okay with this kind of contact. She's not so sure how she feels about this. The only thing she can think of is that her leg is even hotter now, since they're both wearing long pants.

"You okay?" he dares to ask once he realizes she refuses to answer the previously unspoken question.

"I'm fine," she tells him. He takes that as permission to take her hand in his. Katniss thought he wouldn't be able to move closer to her but was obviously wrong. There is not even a single space between their sides now. She squirms a bit and feels his shoulder brush against hers. She really is fine. She decides it's neither too good, nor too bad.

The way he looks at her does make it seem unique. She somehow feels like there's no one better in District Twelve than her. Is this how she has to confront him every time they meet in front of their friends? She doesn't know whether she can make it.

When he leans in and she thinks he's about to kiss her lips, he surprises her by placing a chaste peck on her cheek. His lifts her chin ever so slightly and turns her to him with gentle movements. He seems satisfied by this new angle and startles her again by taking her face in his hands and pressing his lips against the sensitive spot just below her ear. This time she can't seem to be able to hold the sound of utter surprise back. It seems so intimate to her that she doesn't believe she wants to be this uncomfortable anymore. Why can't he just get it over with?

As she's about to move away from him, his hand cups the back of her head, keeping her in place in the less forceful way possible. He touches his forehead with hers and looks into her eyes. She doesn't remember his being so blue before. She wants him to do it already.

And he does. He kisses her full on the mouth. His lips move slowly against hers, caressing, nibbling and inviting for more. She tries to calm her breathing as well as think of a way to respond.

He suddenly breaks apart to look at her. "You have to kiss back," he whispers. "You don't need to do it now, but when we meet with the others—" She interrupts him by pulling him to her. She instinctively wraps an arm around his neck and repeats his previous actions.

_Caressing, nibbling, inviting for more._

Her ego is successfully boosted once she does get more. He runs his thumb over her cheek and soon enough deepens their kiss, making her aware of the lack of oxygen—she knows she will need to breathe again in a matter of seconds.

She doesn't have to be the one to interrupt this moment, though. Peeta's brother storms in the room without even knocking on the door. When he sees them like this, he doesn't apologize. Instead, he starts talking as if someone is chasing him.

"Peeta, you have to go! They're back and if she comes here to see you with Katniss in your room, she will kill you!" he says, making it clear nobody's chasing _him_. Katniss pushes Peeta away from her. She doesn't want to be chased, either. She jumps from the bed but Peeta catches her arm and eventually locks his fingers around her wrist.

"You can't go from the door, Katniss. They're in the house," he reminds her, panicked. He continues speaking before she has the chance to say anything. "There's a terrace right below my window. It's the only way out."

"We're going to jump from a window? _Again_?" But she doesn't get to hear his answer. He grabs her from her arm and opens the window, instructing her to go first.

Her eyes widen. This is much higher than the classroom.

"Katniss, you don't have the time to decide about this—it's safe, I know it is!"

"How do you know it's safe?" she asks and looks down.

"I've done this thousands of times before."

_This explains his experience with jumping from windows, _she thinks_._

"Tyler. Go talk to them!"

"What should I tell them?"

"I don't know! Anything! Just don't let them get in here! Katniss and I won't get from the front door of the bakery, so if they come down, send them with Darryl," he orders and places his hand on her back. This time she takes his help to climb and doesn't even think twice before jumping. However, by the time he's next to her on the terrace, she realizes it's not possible for her to run. She falls on one knee and spreads the other leg in front of her. She bites her lip until it almost bleeds, doing her best not to scream in pain.

"Are you alright?"

"Yes. Yes, I'm okay. Let's g—" she moans.

"No, you're not." He runs a hand through his hair and kneels beside her. "Let me see," he instructs but she refuses to show him. She manages to stand up and is thankful when he offers his help by taking her arm and wrapping it around his shoulders. His own arm circles her waist as he turns his head to look at her. "Can you walk?"

"Yes," she replies but grips his shoulder even tighter. He sighs and leads her to a door. She wonders how he remembers which door he has to open each time, before she realizes how stupid her thought is. This is _his_ house, after all.

"What are we going to do now?" she wonders.

"I'm going to take you home. Your mother needs to see whether it's serious." It's not serious. She knows it's not. She grits her teeth. This is the most ridiculous things she has ever heard.

* * *

><p>But it is more serious than she had originally expected it to be.<p>

"You need to stay at home for at least a week," her mother tells Katniss after she examines her swollen ankle. She doesn't like it at all. The only thing she can think of right now is her plan and how her twisted ankle is going to destroy it.

"Mom," she whines. Peeta, who is sitting on a chair next to her bed, holds her hand and squeezes it.

"It's okay," he assures her. She shakes her head as she watches her mother stand up to leave the room.

"Mom. I need crutches," she says.

"No, you don't, young lady. You're not going anywhere until your leg is healed." She makes a face.

"I don't need them to get out of home. I only need them to move around it," she explains. When her mother understands Katniss's point, she agrees to give her what she wants. She brings her the crutches Vick used during the time he had broken his leg. Then, she leaves her with Peeta and Prim, after she thanks the former.

"It's not okay," she growls. "I don't want to stay here for the rest of the week."

"But you have to, Katniss. It's only a week. Besides, Gale won't be here until then," her sister reasons. Katniss steals a glance from Peeta. He is the only one to know she's not as worried about going to hunt as she is about their planned stunt.

"Some other time," he tells her knowingly. And when she's about to consider staying at home for the week and letting him go for the rest of the summer holidays, she hears the knock on the door.

"I'll go open it," Prim informs them and flees. "Hey, Madge," she greets gaily. Katniss almost jumps from her bed, while Peeta clasps his mouth with his hand. She gives his arm a gentle push.

"In the bathroom. Now," she demands. He nods and quickly obeys.

A really surprised and anxious Madge enters the bedroom to face her. She runs to her and sits on the chair Peeta was seconds ago.

"Katniss, what happened? Prim says you twisted your ankle," she tells her in a tone full of concern. Katniss takes a handful of her bed's sheets and clenches her fist around it. She has to remain calm.

"Yes, I did. I went in the woods this morning. I tripped and fell."

"But Gale's not here. How is this possible?"

"I don't need him to go to the woods. I can go there on my own. Oh and…sorry I left your home so early this morning. I should have told you where I was going." She can barely hold the smirk. Madge is not the only one who can play this game.

"What do you mean? You were not…" she trails off when she remembers Prim is in the same room as them. "I mean that's okay."

"I had so much fun last night. We should do it again," Katniss says with a fake grin. She can only hope Madge doesn't know it's not real.

"You mean the party?"

"No, after this. It was amazing." She lets out what she thinks to be a dreamy sigh. Madge's face pales. What is going on in her head right now? Does she think her friend actually slept with Peeta? She hopes so, since Prim doesn't understand a word of what she's implying.

"Of c-cour..se…Sure, why not? I was just c-coming here to ask you if you wanted to go out tonight. With Delly's friends—the ones we met yesterday."

"Oh, Madge," she feigns disappointment. "I'm afraid I can't do this tonight. I have promised to go somewhere else."

"Somewhere else? Where? And what about your leg?"

"My leg won't be a problem, don't worry. I just have to go there."

"Katniss, mom says you have to stay here for the week. You can't go anywhere," Prim interferes.

"We'll see that." Then, she turns to Madge. "Some other time."

"Y-yeah…some other time," she repeats. "Take care of your leg," she adds, standing up to leave.

"I will," she promises. Prim leads her out of the house after Katniss gets the chance to yell at her that she will see her soon.

_Sooner than expected._

"Where's Peeta?" her sister asks.

"In the bathroom. Tell him he can get out now." Prim gives her a weird look and goes to bring him in the room.

"We're going to take action. Today," Katniss says with a smile as soon as he comes to stand in front of her.

"Oh no…what did she tell you?" She looks at Prim who excuses herself, claiming she needs to tell something to their mother.

"She pretended that I was with her last night."

"And what did you say?"

"I said that I had fun and that it was amazing." He stares at her for a good couple of seconds before he bursts into laughing. Moments later, she laughs along.

"You really said that?" he asks after they've both calmed down. It doesn't stop her from letting out a chuckle, though.

"You should have seen her face. Priceless." He sighs and looks away from her.

"We'd better not do this. Your ankle," he reminds her. She feels like this is not the real reason why he is so hesitant but chooses to neglect it, anyway. The result is too satisfactory and addicting for her to let it go. Madge's reaction was only the beginning.

"You said that your friends expect you to go with them tonight?"

"Yes. Trevor's father owns the new restaurant of the District. I'll be there at around eight in the evening."

"Good. Come to pick me up at seven."

"Pick you up? Are you serious?" he asks incredulously.

"Well, I don't think I have the ability to walk there on my own. I'll get the crutches, too." She makes a movement with her head to show him.

"But what about your mother? Won't she find out you're missing?"

"Oh, she will. But not too soon, if we work fast. I'll try to persuade Prim because we honestly can't do it without her."

"You're going to get into trouble." A pregnant pause follows. She scowls right after she examines his facial expression.

"You don't want to," she states.

"It's not that…it's…"

"You don't want to," she repeats. "You should have told me. You don't have to participate in this. It's okay."

"No! I mean no, I want to help you, I would be really stupid, if I didn't. I just don't understand. Madge will not be there." She shakes her head.

"She just told me she will. She invited me there but I said I had somewhere else to go."

"In this case, if we go—"

"—_when_ we go," she corrects him.

"When we go, you'll have to act surprised. You're not supposed to know she'll be there."

"This is impossible. She _told_ me she'd be there."

"Then, you know you're going out with my friends, but you don't know who they are," he suggests.

"Okay. It makes sense. Come at seven but not earlier. I don't want my mother to see you or she'll suspect something's up."

"Deal. Be ready," he tells her and manages a smile.

Gale says she only smiles when she's in the woods, with him. Oh, how wrong he is...

* * *

><p>Katniss gently gives her little sister a push towards the direction she supposes her mother is.<p>

"C'mon, Prim. You promised. We don't want her to see me in that dress now, do we?" she whispers.

"Mom doesn't have a problem with you wearing that dress," Prim reminds her. "You wore it at your fifth reaping, anyway."

"No, but she has a problem with me getting out of the house. Don't look at me like that—I know you do, too, but you promised." Prim sighs in defeat and nods twice before walking away from Katniss.

Katniss puts all of her weight on one foot and uses the crutches to move and sit on the bed. Once the mattress sinks, she realizes she can't help wondering whether Peeta will make it to her house in time. She waits patiently for her sister to appear and tell her she managed to send their mother away.

Suddenly, she hears footsteps, causing her shoulders to tense. That is until she recognizes them as Prim's footsteps.

"Okay." She says and gestures to the door.

"Okay? Are you sure?" asks Katniss.

"Yes. I told her that we ran out of supplies. But Katniss….she's probably going to town! How do you plan on avoiding her then?"

"Remember that there's not only one way to town."

"You hurt your leg! The other way will take _ages_ for you to arrive."

"And that's why I told Peeta to pick me up an hour earlier." She covers her lips with her hand right after she realizes what she just say. Prim's eyebrows arch up in surprise.

"Really? You're going with Peeta?" Katniss doesn't blame her for not bothering to hide the disbelief. She has to remind herself that this isn't even real.

She brings her index finger to her lips. "Shh…don't talk about this to anyone. At least not until I approve of it, okay?" She already knows there's no point in requesting such things like this from Prim. There is no way she will ever approve of a romantic relationship. It leads to marriage, and that leads to children. Just the idea of having kids is not to be considered.

"Alright. Do you want me to help you with your shoes?" She never felt as helpless as she is right now. She has no choice but to let her sister help her with what she can until Peeta arrives.

"You're not late," Katniss states as soon as their eyes meet.

"No…you said seven. Did you want me to be late?" he wonders in a tone that makes her understand he clearly believes he did something wrong. _But he didn't_, she wishes to tell him.

"We should probably go," she says instead. He agrees without wasting any more time.

She looks pretty intrigued by his efforts to make their plan perfect. They walk (She doesn't walk, only limping and she hates it.) to town as he talks to her about taking the long way to her house in order not to risk meeting with her mother. He also tells her about the bakery and how she should pay a visit some time right before he compliments her looks as if they've been friends for years.

In reality, this morning was the second time she talked to him. The first one was because she had lost her pen one year ago and he was the person sitting closest to her at that moment. It was that dark blue pen she watched him use one that day and every day that followed. He halts so that they can discuss about their act only after they have started approaching Trevor's restaurant.

"You should tell me, if anyone makes you feel uncomfortable—even if it's me. We can stop whenever you want to." She mutters a silent "no" under her breath.

"I don't want to stop," She assures him.

"You don't know that."

"Then, I _won't_ want to stop," she insists. "You won't want to stop once you see them, either," she adds confidently.

He steps closer and takes one of her crutches in his hand, leaving her no other choice but to lean on him. He easily catches her before she falls forward and wraps his arm around her waist, just like he did in the morning. She frowns, for an almost unknown reason she had forgotten she had to show affection.

"You ready?"

"No. Let's go," she tells him. She watches him wince out of the corner of her eye, but decides she doesn't really care. He's going to come around eventually.

By the time she notices that everyone is already seated at the table, her breath catches in her throat. She hopes she can trust Peeta with saving them both. Relief begins to flood her once she sees the shocked expression on their faces. It makes her think she's not the only one struggling to accept something that is completely unusual.

"Katniss…you told me you wouldn't show up. You said you had somewhere else to go." Madge is the one to speak up first. Peeta pretends there's nothing special with the whole situation and pulls a chair for him and Katniss. He helps her sit and places Katniss's support against the wall before taking a seat next to her.

"Yes, I did." She quickly closes her mouth. Nothing else comes out.

"I told her I wanted her to meet you," Peeta says.

"But she already knows us, Peeta," Delly reminds him. Katniss is scared that he has already screwed up, however, it looks like he has other plans.

"I wanted her to _really_ meet you. I wanted us to be together and talk," he replies and moves his hands around him, letting her know he's talking about all of them. "Maybe eat, too," he adds in a humorous tone. They all stare at him as if he's grown a second head.

"I don't understand," Abigayle finally breaks the silence. Everyone seems thankful she dared to voice the question.

"Which part don't you understand?" Peeta asks, acting oblivious. This does not go unnoticed and soon he receives an irritated look.

"You haven't come to meet us with a girl in years. I don't understand why there is a sudden change now," she makes herself clearer.

"And I don't understand why there shouldn't be a change here," he retorts, his expression calm. Suddenly, Katniss feels compelled to help him. He doesn't know why she finds this to be the right moment, but she places her open palm on the table, hoping he will get the message. It takes him several seconds, but he eventually does take the invitation.

He lets his own palm rest on hers and intertwines their fingers. Then, he takes their hands on his lap as if he wants it to be private. However, the _damage_ is already done.

Trevor's unsteady voice quickly follows Delly's gasp.

"You guys…cut the crap," he says in a warning tone. Not for them but for himself. The way he pronounces it is like he's scared of losing it.

Peeta doesn't release her hand. Instead, he tightens his hold as if to reassure her he can handle it.

"What crap, Trevor?" he asks. His brows furrow in what she thinks to be confusion and annoyance. Trevor's expression gets even more insane.

"Y-you can't have—Peeta! That's not a joke!" Peeta only rolls his eyes.

"Why isn't Alexander here?" he asks to change the topic, even though Katniss feels like it will not be that easy.

"Because he isn't. Tell me."

"And why isn't he here?"

"Because he'll be arriving in five minutes. Happy now? Tell me," he repeats, the last two words perhaps the most nerve-racking phrase Katniss has ever heard.

_Tell me._

She huffs in exasperation and begins to speak. Her words shut him up immediately.

"Well, this is not a joke. I don't know why you find this so surprising and I certainly have no idea why you consider it _funny_, because it's not. Peeta, would you like to leave?" she asks in the end and tries her best to not sound disgusted with the tone of her voice. He stares at her, open-mouthed. She feels not only proud of herself, but also satisfied with what she has achieved, as if she has done something right.

And, in a way, she has. Peeta's thumb running over her fingers confirms the fact, when realization suddenly hits her like a ton of bricks. She did not just stand up only for herself, but also for him. She doesn't understand why they would laugh at his efforts to get a girlfriend.

They didn't exactly laugh at him while she was present, but it is obvious they have done this before. She doesn't understand why he wouldn't be wanted. Though she could never allow herself to think of anyone in this way, but Peeta isn't exactly unattractive.

"No, it's alright. We're here now," he whispers, looking at her in an entirely new way. It is both pleasant and alarming. The emotion warms her heart, but at the same time makes her distinguish a sharp pain somewhere between her stomach and her chest. The only thing she manages to do in return is smile. She cannot be sure whether it's real or not.

"Are you…are you two _serious_? You'd better stop this before anyone gets hurt," Trevor advises, resulting in Peeta shooting him a funny look.

"How is this going to hurt you?"

"Are you kidding me? My eyes!" he exclaims dramatically, "This is sick!"

She instinctively takes her hand away from Peeta's. The word "sick" echoes in her head and reminds her that she won't be able to give Prim what she wants. Katniss will never be happy. She will never show any sorts of affection to anyone and she will never have a healthy relationship. She knows it and isn't bothered by it. However, it's pretty clear that Peeta is.

She opens her mouth, only to close it again. She wants to defend him—after all, he's supposed to be her date, but she can't. She feels like everything will be against her afterwards. What takes her by surprise is that Delly is the one to defend their supposed feelings.

"Do you see now, Trevor? This is exactly why you're on your own. You just keep saying things like that and ruin everything for everyone. I personally believe it's sweet." Katniss gives her a look of appreciation before she receives her nod. However, Peeta's friend looks more than just upset.

"This is not about me, Delly! And this isn't how it works when you trust—or are supposed to trust—someone for eleven fucking years!" His glare is directed at Delly, even though Katniss knows he is talking about Peeta.

Her eyes fall on his hand, which is scratching his chair, obviously trying to hold himself from arguing back. She's quite impressed by his patience. Sympathy is what makes her take his hand again.

"There must have been things you also kept from Peeta," Delly says.

"This is different, Delly! He has had that f—"

"Language!" Delly screeches. He snorts, but continues anyway.

"He has had that crush on her for twelve damn years! All that time he had been _trying_ to approach her with _no_ success and now he finally appears out of nowhere with her by his side, making sure we know they're now a couple!" he exclaims. "And he told me nothing about it!" He slams his fist on the table and stands up.

"Sit down, Trevor," Delly says in a warning tone. He refuses to obey and pushes his chair back. "Where are you going?"

"I'm hungry," he answers as if it is the most expected reply after his outburst. Peeta rolls his eyes once again, but won't look at Katniss. She suddenly feels like she doesn't want to know what his friend meant by what he said.

Trevor shoots one more glare at Peeta before vanishing from sight—he simply disappears in the restaurant. After he's gone Peeta leans closer to her ear.

"Give him some time to calm down. I would say he has a point, but after what he did…" he whispers so quietly that only she can hear him. She wonders how the sight of them looks like from afar. Madge's shocked expression gives her a clue—it can't be the most common thing to be seen.

"Okay," she whispers back, faking a smile for the umpteenth time today.

* * *

><p>She doesn't like that Abigayle Stones is the one to carry her crutches, while Peeta carries <em>her<em>. She also doesn't like that he carries her, either. He holds her with his one arm under her knees and the other supporting her upper back as they walk to the meadow. She feels helpless and useless like a baby. She wishes Madge would have stayed with them. She has this urge to run away, even though she knows she can't.

The meadow was quite a surprise for her. She never really thought the kids from the town liked visiting this place, but she never visited it either anymore. She would always go to play there with her younger sister and her father when she was younger. But that was before Katniss found shelter in the woods. Before she had met her best friend, Gale.

An even bigger surprise is what follows after they reach the meadow. Her heart clenches as thousands of memories cloud her mind. She can't help but tighten her hold on Peeta's shirt. He obviously notices the change and hurries to reach the tree they're heading for so that he can put her down.

"Is anything wrong?" he asks. Her eyes move to the only friends of Peeta left; Trevor and Abigayle. The latter laughs at something the former said, while they both take their time to sit cross-legged on the grass.

Katniss moves away from Peeta and lets her open palm come into contact with the rough surface of the tree. She kneels on the ground, not caring about getting her bare legs getting dirty or scraped.

This was _her_ tree. She would always come here when she was upset because of something her parents wouldn't let her do. This had been her hiding place. She is still able to recognize it, just like she hasn't forgotten any of the forbidden songs she was taught.

She closes her eyes and takes a deep breath.

Her father had always known where to find her, no matter what. She smiles at the thought.

"Katniss?" Peeta whispers. She turns around to face him. His hand is extended as if to bring her back, but he doesn't dare to. It is as if he cares about her well being, not only for the prank his so-called friends pulled on him.

He repeats the question and she finally answers, assuring him that nothing's wrong. That everything is perfect, even if it isn't. She keeps the last part to herself.

"Come on," he tells her. Perhaps he does care about her well being, after all. Maybe he's just too good of a person not to.

Eventually she takes his invitation and crawls carefully towards him. They both approach the others who are already lying with their backs flat on the ground, gazing the stars.

She doesn't know why she had to recall most of the moments she had spent with her father today, out of all days. There was no problem with her letting the issue with her tree go, but what can she do now? Neglect it is the best option for the time being.

She doesn't hesitate to copy Peeta's actions. As soon as she lies down, every part of her body brushes against the green blades of the ground. She's thankful that the soft blue dress she is wearing has short sleeves. This way, grass can tickle her arms as well as her legs. She frowns as she remembers she will have to wash her mother's clothes afterwards.

Peeta chuckles from beside her, making her turn her head to look at him.

"What?" she snaps, almost forgetting that they're still working on their plan. He shakes his head in reply.

"Nothing. You're just beautiful. Even when you scowl." His compliment leaves her speechless. She blinks several times, but she still doesn't understand where it came from. That is, until she notices a movement from behind him.

_Of course…_

Trevor and Abigayle are still watching them.

"Thanks…I guess…" she decides to tell him in the end, even though it doesn't sound convincing. It is forced anyway.

"No, I mean it. Is it so difficult to believe me?" he asks. She turns her face away from him to look at the deep blue of the sky. She searches for her star just like she used to do with her father.

Her brows furrow in concentration, but he interrupts her train of thought for the second time.

"Silver is not a very common color, you know. You don't see it all the time." She still does not understand his point. He has failed miserably if all he wanted was her to look at him again.

"You see it in the Capitol," she retorts. This time she turns around, convinced that it was because _she_ wanted to do so.

"Yes, but have you seen silver eyes before?" Had he forgotten they are not alone or is he trying to make it seem believable? She has no idea.

"No," she admits. "I haven't."

"Your eyes are silver. In the moonlight," he explains. She finds herself being more amused than intended. Before she has the chance to pretend she's indifferent by telling him she hadn't noticed the color of her eyes in the moonlight before, other words come out. She silently scolds herself for not managing to hold a smile.

"You're the romantic type," she states, mirth in her eyes.

"Excuse me?" He makes a face, but she surprisingly doesn't flinch. Trevor reminds them of his presence by propping his weight on his elbows and leaning over Peeta.

"Am I forgiven?" he asks. Peeta's frown deepens.

"For what?"

"Oh, come on, you know for what. Don't make me say it." This time, Peeta can't help the smirk. Katniss assumes it is Trevor's way of apologizing for his earlier outburst. His glare doesn't give Peeta any more chances to joke.

"Depends. If you have something mean in mind, then no, you're not." Trevor pauses for a minute, before saying what he originally wanted. He turns to face Katniss.

"You'll have to get used to him. Don't be too surprised, if he proposes to you in a week," he tells her. She stares at him blankly.

"I wouldn't get this far," Peeta says seriously. "Not even if this was r—" Her awkward cough cuts him off. Was he going to say _real_? He soon realizes it and mumbles something like "never mind" in order to save it. Trevor continues.

"He's always been… how can I explain it to you?" He waits several seconds to fight with his thoughts before he keeps talking. "There is no wonder he will be the damsel in distress in this relationship. He always was that way."

"What do you mean?" She asks, wanting to more.

"So you want me to explain?" She can't see his face very clearly, but guesses that he's raising his eyebrows.

"Over my dead body," Peeta grunts and sits up so that Trevor won't be facing her.

"Whoa. Having you promise me this kills two birds with one stone. I get to talk with your girlfriend and I _also_ get to see you attempt to commit suicide."

"Ha. Ha. Ha. Very funny. I give you thirty seconds to get it over with. Then, you shut up. How about that?" Peeta suggests.

"Thirty seconds? Is that all you can offer?"

"I'm counting. Thirty. Twenty nine. Twenty eight. Twenty seven." Katniss hears Abigayle's growl, before she hears her speak.

"You two are such babies! I don't know why I even come here with you in the first place!" she exclaims.

"Twenty three."

She jumps from the ground and lets her eyes soften to tell them she'll see them tomorrow, before she turns on her heel to leave.

"You see…Peeta will always wait for his knight and shining armour to come and save him. There are so many times he's in his own little world."

"Are you saying I'm not a realist?" The disbelief is evident in his voice.

"No, I'm not saying that. I'm saying that you're so…dreamy…"

"Just so you know your time's over."

"I was going to leave, anyway. I have to catch up with Abs. I don't want to go home on my own," Trevor confesses.

"I would ask you to go home with me, but…" Peeta doesn't finish his sentence, only moving his eyes on Katniss, making his point obvious.

"Yeah, yeah, I know. This is Katniss Everdeen, after all." Katniss cannot interpret his last words, so she decides to let it go. She doesn't speak to him until they are completely alone. She begins to speak, the entire time keeping her eyes on the sky.

"It's okay to dream, you know," she tells him. She can feel him looking at her. "I used to dream…but it was years ago. It seems like an eternity." He waits for her to continue. "I don't usually talk. I don't know why I'm talking to you now." She closes her eyes and indulges in the silence between them, but his reply doesn't come yet.

"My father told me so many different stories about the stars. There were times when he'd tell me to pick one in order to make a wish. I remember him picking one, too." She smiles as her eyes flutter open. "He wouldn't let me tell him my wish, just like he wouldn't tell me his. He said it wouldn't come true if we did." She pauses.

"I didn't understand why he'd want to make a wish. He was an adult. I used to think adults could always have whatever they want. However…as I started growing up…I understood what he meant. I understood what he wanted, even though I considered myself too selfish to claim it, too." She doesn't need to say that she is talking about freedom.

She's positive that even he and his family have gotten a taste of what it is like to feel as if they are imprisoned. She inhales a breath of fresh air and proceeds to finish her speech. "Of course there were times when I couldn't help wishing for some things…but I usually chose to believe in one of the other allegations."

"Which is?" he asks encouragingly. She had almost forgotten she wasn't talking to herself. The sudden sound of his voice gives her a newfound feeling that is particularly close to hope.

"He used to say that when people die, they become stars. I always thought of my father as the brightest one. It doesn't make sense, but even if he's not with me, I feel like he is. He's always there to show me the way." Her voice lowers by the time she reaches the end of the sentence. She doesn't care about his reply, for she does want to hear it.

"I'm sorry," he whispers after a while. She makes a chocking sound she did not intend on making and finally turns her head to lock her gaze with his.

"You don't have anything to be sorry about," she reminds him.

"No, I didn't mean it in that way. It wasn't—and still isn't—personal. I meant that I'm sorry for what we all have to go through." She's about to get angry because, in reality, what he has been through is nothing in comparison to what she has had to deal with. Suddenly, she remembers the way his mother treats him and his brothers, and changes her mind. It is better to face starvation _with_ your family than to not be loved at all by them. She would be nothing without Prim.

Thus, she only nods to assure him she understands what he means. Besides, being a merchant and specifically a baker doesn't necessarily mean a house full of baked goods.

"It's nice," he tells her.

"Nice? What's nice?"

"Everything you've been told about the stars. The relationship you had with your father. I don't know—whatever you referred to or whatever you have in mind right now," he explains.

"It is," she agrees.

"After all…when you become a star, you have the opportunity to shine. You have the opportunity to be someone special." Why would he think this way? He _is_someone special. Otherwise, why would he be surrounded by literally everyone in school? "Maybe then people would care about you because of what you are, not what they _want_ you to be or because they _want_ to _get_ things from you," he adds.

A shiver runs down her spine as the meaning of his words slowly begins to sink in. Her only friends are Gale and Madge. It doesn't look like either of them _wants_ to take things from her. There is no way they can benefit from what she earns after she trades. It's barely enough for her own family. Peeta's friends, though…She knows nothing about them and decides that doesn't want to.

"I have to go home," she tells him.

"Okay. I'm going to walk you there."

"Peeta, you can't. My mother will see you and you'll get into trouble."

"Don't worry, I won't appear in front of your door. I'll just help get you there."

"Oh…I guess that's alright," she says in a thoughtful tone.

"Yeah, at least not until tomorrow morning," he mumbles.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"That's supposed to mean it's partially my fault your ankle's hurt. I can keep you company, while you're forced to stay in the house. Because, let's face it, your mother's not going to let you out of her sight after that."

"You're right, she isn't. But that doesn't mean you're forced to stay inside, too."

"Nobody forces me! I want to help. Of course that's in case you have no problem with me visiting…" She sighs.

"I don't. It's getting late, we really need to go now." He nods in comprehension and sits up, prompting her to copy his actions.

"You know…we need to find a way to break it off. I don't think you'd like to be stuck with me for the rest of your summer," he says in a humorous tone, even though she swears there is also some bitterness that can be found.

"Yes, but I don't know how to do that. Maybe I could slap you?" she suggests questioningly.

"_Slap_ me? Why on earth would you want to _slap_ me?" he asks, eyes wide as he emphasizes the word. She shrugs. She's not so sure whether they have to make it so dramatic either. Maybe they don't need to. She rushes to mutter what she thinks to be "let it go" because, honestly, she doesn't know where that came from in the first place.

Once she's home again, she's perfectly aware of the fact that she has to face the consequences. Her mother appears to be more than just upset as she yells at her, but Katniss can't really manage to absorb everything that is spoken. All she can think of is that getting out of house was definitely worth it. She can only hope the results of their plan's next step will be equally satisfying.

The next day Peeta visits the house of the Everdeens with a bag full of cookies from the bakery. Katniss isn't sure if this is the reason why her mother invites him in with a huge smile that spreads across her face, but decides to accept him no matter what. His cookies managed to make her sister happy after all. And, there is nothing she loves more than to see Prim smile.

"Did you make them on your own?" Prim asks in awe. Peeta lets out a brief laugh.

"Yeah, it's not that difficult."

"But the frosting is amazing!" she exclaims. "Daises are my favorite flowers!"

"Really? And I thought primroses were your weakness."

"I like primroses, too, but that's the flower I'm named after, so it doesn't really count," she replies with a grin.

The fact that they both have this ability of making it impossible for you to dislike them is not entirely new, but very impressive. No wonder they'd offer each other easy smiles just like that. Every smile Katniss gave her mother looked more than just forced.

The rest of the week passes unbelievably fast. Peeta visits in the morning and disappears in the evening, making Katniss's days at home a little more interesting. At first she is convinced that this is just because he manages to make Prim laugh when she can't, although she soon has no other choice but to change her mind.

The first time she feels the warm feeling inside her chest is when Prim decides to introduce him to Buttercup. Peeta clearly despises this filthy excuse of a cat, just like she does, but tries his hardest not to let it show. She feels more connected to him for what she thinks to be a really funny reason.

She practices walking without her crutches because she knows once her mother gives her the permission to get out of the house, she won't hesitate to do it. Moreover, she agrees to a request of Prim that has to do with showing Peeta their father's flower book. He had made it obvious he was curious about how Prim knows what plants to collect when she's in the woods. Katniss realizes he also understands _she_ is the one who is capable of hunting down animals and providing for her family.

Though, Peeta's visits don't exactly go unnoticed, especially when the Hawthornes come back from their trip. It all starts with a heated, unspoken argument between Peeta and Prim's hideous pet. Its creepy yellow eyes shoot daggers at Peeta's bright blue ones and he soon finds himself returning the all too familiar look of "appreciation" and "contentment". Buttercup's hiss is the final blow.

"Will you stop, you _stupid_ cat?" he exclaims exasperated and then turns to face Katniss with wide eyes. "Sorry, I just couldn't help it," he adds guiltily, making her press her lips together to restraint from laughing. She stands up from the couch and approaches him to say goodbye.

"It's alright. Just don't let Prim hear you. She's getting overprotective of him sometimes," she answers. Buttercup lurks him like Katniss does with her prey and shows his teeth, letting the same disgusting sound escape him. Peeta's nose wrinkles as he successfully mimics his hiss.

"The feeling is mutual," he mutters under his breath. This time Katniss can't seem to be able to hold her laugh. "Why do you find that so funny? This is verbal abuse—this is serious," he says. This only manages to double her laughing.

Soon enough, he joins her and they burst into hysterics together. She realizes they have no reason to do that anymore, but stopping is not that easy. She places her one hand on his shoulder and holds her pained stomach with the other. When they finally calm down, they can do nothing but stare at each other while breathing heavily.

"I have to…" He pauses to take one more breath. "I have to go…" She nods. "You know what? Since you're okay and everything…I thought you could come to Trevor's again tonight. Or tomorrow. Whenever you want." She lets her hand drop to her one side and frowns. Going there with Peeta was one thing, but she can't go on her own. She was not invited.

He apparently notices her discomfort.

"Or I could just come to pick you up. What do you think?" She parts her lips, but before she gets the chance to answer, a voice from behind her makes her freeze.

"Catnip?" Gale calls. She certainly didn't expect to see him here now. However, it doesn't take long for her to recover from her shock. She offers him a lazy smile.

"Hey, Gale." To her surprise the only thing he does in response is clench his jaw. It takes her some seconds to remember he can't possibly know the reason why the youngest son of the baker is here, laughing with her.

"What the…what's going _on_?" he snaps.

"Oh, you know…Peeta was just leaving," she tells him and pushes Peeta lightly. "Go," she whispers.

"_Peeta?_" he calls in a not-so-welcoming tone.

"That's me. And I was indeed leaving." Then, Peeta turns around to face her. His eyes ask the question he cannot voice.

"The town square," she tells him. He gives her a weird look, while she also feels her family's gazes on her. She knows it's a stupid place to meet, since they both will have to walk much more than necessary, but she can't think of anything better. He silently agrees with her and lets Prim and her mother escort him to the outlet.

"What the freaking hell was that?" Gale hisses through his teeth. Katniss startles both him and herself by letting out a soft giggle escape her lips. "Are you seriously making fun of me now? Catnip, what's wrong with you?" She chuckles again, after she shakes her head as if to clear it.

"Sorry, I guess you reminded me of Buttercup," she admits.

"I reminded you of Buttercup," he repeats in disbelief.

"Yes. Peeta was trying to…" She doesn't finish what she had in mind. She can't afford to talk about Peeta without explaining the situation to Gale. She knows how he feels about the boys from the richest families. Besides, could she tell him about the prank? She would ever dream of it. He would be red within a matter of seconds.

"What was he trying to do?" he presses when he sees she doesn't answer. Thankfully, her mother interrupts them.

"Katniss, Hazelle called us for lunch. Prim and Gale are free to go, if they want. I'd like you to help me, before we leave, though."

"I could help, too," Gale volunteers.

"No, we don't need any more help, Gale. Thanks for offering," she responds with a warm smile.

"You're welcome, Mireille," he says and shoots Katniss a cautious glance. She interprets it as something like _"we'll talk later" and_ watches him and her sister exit the room she's in.

She turns her attention to her mother.

"What did you want me to help you with?" she wonders. Her mother gestures for her to follow her in the bathroom.

"I'll show you," she says. When Katniss receives the little round box she makes a face in bewilderment. She examines it with her hands and brings it to her ear to shake it.

"Pills? For what?" she asks with a raised eyebrow.

"I don't usually give out pills like these because nobody has really asked for them, but I would like _you_ to take them once a month."

"What are they for?" she repeats her question.

"They're for you. You and Peeta look like you're pretty serious, honey," she tells her with a smile.

"Mom! I don't believe you!" she exclaims as realization dawns on her. "I'm not sleeping with anyone! I'm not going to get pregnant! And…Peeta's nothing…" she sighs. "He's just my friend," she says in the end. Of course she hasn't shared with him what she has shared with Gale, but it doesn't really matter. After the last week she can't find a good enough reason not to consider him something more than a simple acquaintance.

"Trust me, Katniss," she insists. Her daughter gives her an irritated look.

"It's like you're encouraging me to do that," she growls.

"Of course not. I'm only saying you need to be careful," Mireille points out.

"Whatever," Katniss mutters, fleeing the room. She still can't believe her mother gave her contraceptive pills. It is not as if she'd ever even _try_ for children.

* * *

><p>She has no <em>real<em> reason to be here. She begins to realize it when she walks towards the restroom of Trevor's restaurant, claiming she wants to wash her hands. In reality, the only thing she wants to do is think. The feeling of trepidation is completely unwelcome, but she can't really help it.

She lets out a shaky breath.

Why does she feel so attached to Peeta Mellark when the only reason they meet with each other is because of a prank? She suddenly stops dead on her tracks and tries to desperately search her mind. She needs to find the main purpose of their supposed relationship.

She's positive her uneasiness has nothing to do with the absence of Madge, though, her presence would be a good enough reason for Katniss to stay.

_You know…we need to find a way to break it off._

And they do. What if Gale wants to know all of the details? What if he starts growing more suspicious than he already is? She can't risk arguing with her best friend just because she wants to feel vindicated. She realizes his arrival in Twelve has made it almost impossible for her to seek justice.

When she hears quiet murmurs followed by relatively loud footsteps, she jumps from where she is and lets her hands drop to her sides. She faces the door as it opens wide.

"Hey, Katniss." Delly smiles at her, while Abigayle acknowledges her with a curt nod. She returns the nod without second thoughts. She steps away from the sink so that they will have the chance to wash their hands too, even though she has a feeling they are not just here for this. The thought frightens her.

"You don't like kissing in public, do you?" Katniss's eyes grow wide. When they go back to their normal size, she can't avoid giving Abigayle an uncomfortable look. Delly pokes her friend and gives her an irritated look. "What? It was just a question," she defends herself and shrugs in indifference. Katniss wonders how much indifferent she really is.

"I'm not used to kissing in public. Excuse me now," she admits and makes an effort to leave the room.

"Katniss?" Delly calls hesitantly. She turns around, feeling as if she has no other choice.

"Yes, Delly?" she mutters.

"Please, don't hate me for what I'm going to say…but Peeta's my friend." She doesn't understand what this is supposed to mean. She decides not to hide her puzzlement. "I don't want him to get hurt. He really likes you," Delly adds. She, honestly has no idea that it's all an act. He doesn't _really_like her. And Katniss doesn't really like him. Well, she _does_, but not in the way Delly might be thinking right now.

"I know. I like him, too," she manages to say.

"Katniss, I mean it. You should have kept in mind that even if Trevor bought the story you two came up with…and even if we pretend like we did, too…he really cares about you. I know you're not exactly playing with his feelings, but try not to do it in the future, either. And when you're about to end it…please do it discreetly." Katniss stares at her open-mouthed. They knew it all along. They knew it was all a lie and they still didn't say a thing.

"I care about him, too," is the only thing she can say. Before she has the time to register it, Abigayle locks her fingers around her wrist and puts all of the pressure she can muster in order to make her grip on Katniss's hand tighter.

"You listen to me, _now_. I don't care whether you do that because you _pity_ him or because you can take his _pretty_ money, but you will find a way to fix what you've done." She parts her lips to protest, but she doesn't get her chance. "He's been in love with you for you for _years_ and you pay attention to him now of _all_ times just because you can _benefit_ from him. And you say you care about him? You're such a hypocrite!" Peeta's friend exclaims. Katniss gives her head a violent shake. She's not a hypocrite and she's more than just sure that Peeta isn't in love with her. He never was. He would have told her, right?

"Abigayle, are you crazy? This is too much for her! Besides, it's not just her fault. It's ours, too," Delly reminds her.

"I don't see how you can believe this is _our_ fault. He's not infatuated with us!"

"No, but _we_ pushed them together. _We_ got them in the same classroom after they passed out. _We_ have been pulling those silly pranks on Peeta and he didn't even complain about our behavior—not even once. It's not just _her_ fault he's spoiled." Abigayle releases Katniss arm and turns her attention fully to Delly. It is apparent she wants to argue with her, but Katniss can stand it no longer. And with that, she bolts out of there.

Once she has reached the table again she feels like throwing up. She stares at her plate blankly and collapses on her seat with numb movements.

"Katniss? Are you feeling alright?" Peeta asks in concern from beside her. She doesn't give him the straight answer he expects to hear. Instead, she replies with a question.

"Why do you ask?"

"Because you kinda…zoned out. Everything okay?" She snaps her head to her right to give him what she thinks to be an intense look. She wants to tell him that she's not okay, but she knows she can't. "Trevor. Would you mind us missing for a couple of minutes?" he finally asks.

"Oh, go ahead," Trevor says dismissively. Peeta nods. He doesn't waste any more time as he leads Katniss away so that they will be out of earshot.

"What's wrong? What did they tell you in there?" he wants to know. Her bottom lip trembles as she recalls every single word she heard from Delly and Abigayle.

"How did you…" she trails off.

"How I knew? Well, I happen to know them for years. After all, it's written all over your face."

"You've known them for years…" she repeats. "This means they know you, too, right?" she says unsure of the point she's attempting to make. He nods.

"Yes," he confirms in a steady voice. She's about to question his calm tone when she remembers he still doesn't know about her talk with his friends.

"All I wanted to ask you was…I mean that I wanted to know…" she stutters as Peeta's azure eyes bore into hers. She takes a handful of her shirt and starts playing with it nervously. "Maybe I wanted you to tell me about your feelings—I don't necessarily mean it this way but it was all because of the prank and now I'm confused and I hate it when I'm confused—you visited every day and I—you—we…" She looks at their feet. "What I'm trying to say is that I don't know what we are." There. She said it. She lets out the breath she didn't know she was holding.

Several seconds pass before she raises her gaze again.

"You don't understand me, do you?" she tells him in defeat. She wants to hear his reply so badly that she doesn't even realize her eyes are on his lips. She waits for them to move and form the words she wants to hear so much. She wants to hear that he understands her and that he isn't in love with her.

His next move is completely unexpected. He places both of his hands on either side of her face as his lips crush hers. She lets out a sound of disbelief and closes her eyes, trying to sort out her thoughts in the very few moments she's left. But her brain is just too foggy. Everything's too complicated, too much for her to handle. Before she knows it, her lips are also moving against his with the same pressure as their bodies collide with one another. His hands run over the length of her torso and eventually rest on her hips, while she doesn't even hesitate to part her lips, allowing him this way entrance.

The sound of disbelief is heard for a second time with the only difference that he is the one to make it. Katniss's form trembles like a leaf and she knows she has to step backwards to find the strength that was missing all along. Though she gets the chance to do it, only after she watches Peeta bring his hand to his left cheek with a grimace. She can feel the stinging of her palm. He gives her a hurt look.

"You should have told me you wanted to end this from the beginning. You didn't need to hit me just to prove a point." She hates the fact that now they're more than just even. His words sting like a stab in the gut. No matter how much she tries, she can't seem to be able to swallow her guilt.

She remembers watching Mrs Mellark physically assault her sons all the time, just as she remembers hating her for it. She despised her for even allowing herself to be abusive and cruel instead of loving. Is this why Peeta claims he loves his mother? Is it because he is attracted to people who don't care about him?

Her heart clenches. She does want to care about him after everything he's done for her. After all those mornings he spent in her house to prevent her from feeling lonely.

"Are you coming?" he asks in a broken voice. She's surprised how unsteady her own voice is when she speaks.

"Where?"

"We can't leave just like that. They at least deserve to know the truth from us before we—you—disappear." What startles her even more is how quickly he has managed to hold himself together. His tone is so formal that it scares her.

She knows what he's saying doesn't make sense. This is not fair. Why should they be forced to pour their hearts out just like that when they haven't even heard his friends and Madge admit their mistake?

She eventually decides to follow him, though. She decides that nothing has ever been fair for her.

They return to Trevor. Delly and Abigayle are also there. Peeta narrates their whole story from the very start. Instead of asking for an apology, he asks for forgiveness. The worst thing is that she sees the way he functions. She feels his need to apologize, even though the only person she wants to apologize to is him. But she doesn't.

The only thing she manages to do is turn on her heel and run away as if her life depends upon it.

She thought she was brave. Since when has she been giving people the right to consider her a coward? She can't recall.

* * *

><p>She clearly remembers that today is not Peeta's shift at the bakery. She wouldn't have known it, had he not talked about it so much, like she wouldn't even bother to accompany Gale there. But she has already made her promise now and it's almost impossible for her to go back on her word.<p>

"I don't understand Catnip. This is just…not you," her best friend mutters. She groans in frustration.

"Please, don't remind me…I'm sorry I forgot, okay?" she replies, while clenching her fist around the bag with the game. And she really _is_sorry. She feels the heat creeping up her face as the picture of Rory saying goodbye with a disappointed look on his face flashes through her mind.

"No, you know I didn't say it because I wanted you to feel bad," he says.

"Oh, you didn't?" she growls darkly, keeping her voice low so that only she can hear it.

"What was that now?"

"What was what?"

"You've been doing it all day. Mumblings things to yourself. And you haven't even told me what's wrong yet. Are you sure you're not…"

"…insane?" she finishes for him with a frown.

"I was about to say in trouble. Not insane," he lets her know. She shrugs.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Meh."

"Why are you so communicative today?" he wonders, his tone full of sarcasm.

"Look, Gale, I just don't feel like talking. I only want to make up for forgetting your brother's birthday."

"And you never really told me what happened with Mellark." Her shoulders tense as soon as his name is heard. "You know…the baker's son…" he makes himself clearer.

"I thought of getting a cake for him. There are still some cakes we can afford with what we got," she tells him and lifts the bag for him to see. He raises an eyebrow.

"A cake for Mellark?"

"First off, his name's Peeta. Secondly, I'm talking about your brother. Prim always likes receiving presents—I don't think Rory wouldn't enjoy it," she answers. He huffs in exasperation.

"Katniss, why are you constantly changing the subject? I'm not going to _judge _you. You know I'll leave you alone once I know everything's okay with the kids from town," he reminds her, keeping his voice as soft as he can.

"I need to know what Rory's favorite flavor is. I need to make sure he likes it," she says, determined. She tries to block the words from her mind. But she can't push aside all of them. She knows what she really needs to do is find a distraction. And Rory's birthday cake is just that.

"I'm sure Rory will like whatever we buy," Gale tells her in defeat, even though she feels like the conversation is not completely over.

When they enter the bakery, she struggles to persuade herself that nothing bad is going to happen in front of Gale. It's not like he can see the moments she has spent with Peeta in the last week inside her eyes. Or can he?

"Why, hello there, Katniss," Tyler greets her with a grin. She chews on her bottom lip.

"Mellark," Gale calls.

"Oh, I see…you're here to trade. Wait a minute, I'm gonna bring you—"

"—actually…" Katniss starts in a confident voice. The feeling of security threatens to disappear once his eyes meet hers. "Could you give us something different today? Gale's brother has his birthday and we'd like to have a cake. This is what we've got," she adds and walks forward to drop the bag she has been holding on the counter. Tyler smiles.

"Of course. Or…you know what?" he looks behind him warily. "My mother's upstairs right now. I think we could ignore the price for once," he whispers enthusiastically as if he's telling a secret. She takes a step back, while shaking her head.

"No. I can't accept this. We have the game with us so that we can trade. We don't need any presents."

"Oh, Katniss…I'm sure this wouldn't hurt anybody. After all, I believe my little brother's girlfriend is worthy of a small present." She can feel the color drain from her face. It doesn't take him long to notice. "What's wrong? I can even give you one of the cakes Peeta decorated," he suggests. She keeps taking steps toward the other direction. She has never been unfair to anyone before and she already feels like deceiving the Mellark's.

"Gale…you can pick a beautiful cake for Rory," she chokes without even looking at her best friend. Then, she runs away. _Again_.

Just before she goes, she hears Tyler yell something like informing Peeta at her. She tries to convince herself she doesn't care, because Peeta won't care either when he hears of it.

* * *

><p>The idea of visiting the meadow for a second time in the week was something she wouldn't imagine. However, she knows there is no other place she can go to right now without people searching for her. She's positive Gale would have found her in a minute, had she chosen to be in the woods.<p>

She feels like the tree will always play that role in her life. She feels like she will always come here when she needs a way out or when she needs a place to think about all of her worries, even if they aren't as serious as they used to be.

Why has she decided to pay so much attention to every word they have told her about Peeta? Why does everything get her in so much thinking?

_There's no way I would have forgotten it, had it happened._

_So, this is Katniss._

_Don't go straight for it._

_I want to help you, I would be really stupid if I didn't._

_You're just beautiful. Even when you scowl._

_He has had that crush on her for twelve damn years, he was trying to approach her with no success and he finally appears out of nowhere with her by his side, making sure we know they're now a couple!_

_Your eyes are silver. In the moonlight._

_You know…we need to find a way to break it off. I don't think you'd like to be stuck with me for the rest of your summer._

_You and Peeta look like you're pretty serious, honey._

_He's been in love with you for years and you pay attention to him now of all times just because you can benefit from him._

_You should have told me you wanted to end this from the beginning. You didn't need to hit me just to prove a point._

All at once, everything makes sense. But she's always been oblivious when it comes to such things.

She wants to keep spending her time with her sister and him, but she can't find a good enough reason to approach him again, especially after what she did. He kissed her when she clearly craved for it, too and she had slapped him, for heaven's sake! She does not enjoy hurting people–physically or mentally.

Her hand runs over the green blades of the grass as she focuses on calming her breathing. Her eyes close for God knows how long, when the sound of awkward footsteps signals the cessation of her peace, stirring the feeling of uneasiness inside her. She knows that at some points the grass is relatively tall, so she blames the clumsiness of the person's feet on this particular fact. She reminds herself that whoever dared to approach her will eventually leave once they see she's not in the mood to pay the required attention to them.

Moments later, the movement stops from beside her, but she's still unwilling to open her eyes and locate them.

"I've always liked sunsets. Orange is one of my favorite colors." Her eyes open and her heart flops insider her chest. _He_ is sitting right next to her lying body, facing the horizon. She lifts her head ever so slightly in curiosity, just to mentally agree with him.

The mixture of colors is indeed breathtaking. She realizes he isn't only the romantic type, but also the observant one. There are still so many things she doesn't know about him.

"Yeah, I know," he continues. "The clichés are cheesy, but I love them." He sighs and turns his head to look at her. "Tyler said you were in the bakery this morning. I hope you don't mind me coming here, but…" She shakes her head. Maybe she doesn't want to be left alone, after all.

"It's okay," she whispers.

"I wanted to apologize," he says.

"Apologize?" she repeats bewildered. If someone has to apologize, it is_her._

"Yes. I'm sorry if I made you feel bad with what I said. And I'm sorry that I misinterpreted what _you_ said…and…kissed you. I should have asked for your permission first." Her head falls back down. He has no reason to be sorry for what he did, yet she can't afford to tell him that.

Soon enough he lies beside her, on the bed of grass, too. They sit like this, in silence for what seems like centuries, but none of them dares to break it.

When she feels her eyelids droop and her vision become more and more like a blur, confusion slowly starts to fade away as well. The last thing she registers before she falls asleep is the rustling of her tree.

* * *

><p>Just before panic takes over, she remembers exactly where she is. She is surprised Peeta's still lying by her side, watching her. She keeps her eyes on his chest that rises and falls with each and every single breath he takes. It is calming—it almost makes her want to let the darkness consume her again.<p>

Before she has the time to process what she's doing, she finds herself smiling at the idea of her waking up with him and freaking out. It seems so ridiculous now that her smile spreads across her face. She feels like the incident in the classroom was a year ago, when in reality, it was almost a week ago.

Her eyes travel from his collarbone to his throat and, then, face. She expects to find a scowl questioning her ridiculous thoughts. Instead, she finds a warm smile mirroring her own.

"Hey," he whispers in a soft voice. Her cheeks hurt from grinning so wide and she finally decides to let her smile slowly vanish. The feeling of happiness connected with him doesn't disappear, though. She knows that something important—she can't really tell—has changed. She wants to close her eyes, but if she does, he may leave. He may not come back.

_This is a dream, isn't it? Well, I don't mind. You're eventually going to leave, anyway. __Like you always do._

His words from that morning, nine days ago, echo in her head. She has begun to understand what he meant and isn't bothered by it. Not yet, at least.

"Hi," she whispers back. He has a troubled expression on his face, while she is tempted to ask him whether he's real. She hesitantly scoots closer and props her weight on one elbow, facing him. His frown immediately deepens.

"Peeta…" His name is the only thing to be heard. There are so many things she wants him to know that she can't find the right one to begin with. The rest of her words get stuck in her throat—it is simple as that.

Once he shudders, her eyes fall on the exposed part of his upper arm. They travel lower and she watches in fascination as goosebumps rise on his skin. He instinctively brings his other hand to cover himself. His defensive attitude makes her feel like she is rejected. And maybe she is…

"Say something," she tells him out of the blue because, honestly, he is the one who's good with words. He's the one to get her out of the most uncomfortable situations.

"What should I say?" He shrugs in indifference. She flinches. She doesn't know what she wants him to say.

"Nothing. Never mind," she mumbles in the end and sits up completely. She fights with herself, wondering whether she should follow her all too familiar routine and appear proud by leaving him alone or stay where she is. He obviously notices she didn't like his reaction.

"You have no idea," he eventually replies. She shoots him a baffled look. "The effect you can have," he adds after a while.

"What effect?"

"You affect so many people in so many different ways. I couldn't believe it would be possible for you to have doubts about yourself. But you do," he explains as if reading her thoughts. Does that mean she affects him, too?

"I don't understand what your point is." He supports himself on his elbows as well so that they will share the same eye level.

"I don't want to make you leave again, Katniss," he replies sadly. She's about to ask him why he thinks she's going to leave, but manages to bite her tongue before the actual words come out. It is a stupid question, after all.

"I won't leave," she promises.

"Then…do you…do you understand how I really feel about you?"

"I think I'm starting to," she admits in a small voice.

"You know it wasn't an act, right?"

"Yes," she tells him honestly. "I know."

He nods. "I'm glad. Because I wanted you to know for a really long time, but I just couldn't find the way to tell you. And I won't voice my feelings ever in my life, if this will make you uncomfortable."

"Thanks." She won't tell him it's okay to act any other way. She isn't sure if it is. She realizes she doesn't _want_to leave.

"Not that we have much time together. It's just this year…if we have the same classes…and then…" He never gets to finish his sentence. He finally registers their faces are only inches apart from each other. She can only hope that closing the distance between them was a good idea.

_Show them you can be a little bit more affectionate._

She doesn't need to show anybody…but _can_ she be affectionate? Would he like her to be or just be upset with her? She's always been the one to take risks.

She leans even closer and presses her lips against his cheek. When she pulls back to look at him, she almost stumbles backwards. She attempts to prevent herself from losing her balance by kneeling in front of him.

He brushes his thumb against the invisible kiss and lets his eyes soften.

"Why are you doing this?" His words make her wince.

"I just thought…" She suddenly finds it difficult to exhale. How does she tell him that she constantly thinks of spending more time with him than just the next year of school? Meaningless words start tumbling out.

"Your friends' company is not so pleasant sometimes. Abigayle and Delly can get really scary when they want to protect you. Trevor's comments catch you off guard…you don't know what to say." She laughs nervously and looks at her hands resting in her lap. "Madge and Alexander are okay people. But at some point…you just can't be around them." She takes one more breath. "Prim's my world. I couldn't live without her. The only flaw is Buttercup. That cat gets on my nerves," she declares.

"Katniss…" Her lips curl upwards to form a ridiculous smile as she keeps going.

"When my mother and I have conversations it can get really awkward and embarrassing when it is about you."

"You have talked about me?" She still doesn't look at him.

"She once said you're a nice guy. And then she gave me…" She grunts at the memory. She decides to talk about someone else. "Gale would be the most difficult of all. He doesn't like seeing me with people who aren't from the Seam—well, maybe he has no problem with seeing me with Madge, but that's not the same. I still haven't told him anything. And he would need a lot of convincing." When she hears his voice, she can tell there's some hope in it.

"Why would you need to convince him, Katniss?" She shakes her head.

"No. _You_ will talk to him about yourself. You could persuade the whole Panem about anything—I guess he won't mind you so much." He holds both of her hands and grips them tightly.

"I will? Not would? What are you talking about?"

"I…I can't tell you…exactly…I'm not good at this. But I could show you."

"You don't have to show me. You don't have to prove anything. Just look at me," he instructs. She obliges and feels herself relax as soon as she notices his smile. She sighs heavily and waits for his next move.

"You're not going to run away?" He asks just in case. She mutters a silent "no" that she barely hears.

Suddenly his lips are all over her face. Both of her cheeks, her nose, her eyelids, her ears, her forehead, her jawline and every other part she has never bothered to pay attention to. He laughs happily and the only chance she gets to smile is when his mouth is against hers.

"You're…considering…this…" His words are muffled by his kisses.

"Peet-ah!" she complains, but can't get rid of that damn grin of hers. "We have a problem," she manages to say in the end. He stops every movement.

"A problem?" he asks as if he's from a different planet. She hesitates for a minute before replying with a thoughtful expression.

"We've got lots of catching up to do." That only makes him grin wider. He rests his forehead against hers.

"Yes," he agrees, his voice promising. "We do."

* * *

><p><strong>~fin.<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>Story beta'd by "<strong>_**LiveandBreatheWords" .**_


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